China gets Zika case from traveler returning from Venezuela

World Today

A research organisation in Beijing is working on a test kit.

China has confirmed its first case of imported Zika virus, after the outbreak of the virus in South America.

The National Health and Family Planning Commission said on Tuesday that the patient is a 34-year-old Chinese male who had traveled to the South American nation of Venezuela. He had been showing symptoms of fever, headache and dizziness since Jan 28.

On Feb. 5, the man returned to his hometown of Ganxian County in Jiangxi Province via a stop over in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, and he was taken into quarantine in a local hospital the next day.

Doctors say the man is recovering with a normal body temperature and a fading rash.

The virus is usually spread with a mosquito bite and normally causes little more than a fever and rash.


First Zika case confirmed in China after Chinese man returned from South America

China has confirmed its first case of the Zika virus, which has now been linked to more than 30 countries.

CCTV America’s Nathan King reports.

Chinese experts say the risk of the virus spreading from this one case found in China is extremely low because the mosquitoes are not active when it’s cold, and most of China is experiencing cold Winter-season conditions.

The national health body in China says public health experts have evaluated this case and believe the risk of spreading the virus, due to this imported case, is extremely low.

So far, 26 countries have confirmed cases of Zika. Brazil has been hardest hit so far by the outbreak with more than 20,000 suspected and confirmed cases, including over 2,000 pregnant women who are suspected of having the virus, which is said to cause birth defects.

The World Health Organization declared an emergency over the cases last week, prompting research and aid to be fast-tracked.
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Story by CCTV NEWS.